The invention relates to a color image processing apparatus and method for simultaneously scanning and proofing an image, in general, and in particular to a color image processing apparatus incorporating an input scanner and a printer, where the scanning head is internal to the drum and the printhead is external to the drum, or vice versa.
Pre-press color-proofing is a procedure that is used by the printing industry for creating representative images of printed material without the high cost and time that is required to actually produce printing plates and set up a high-speed, high volume, printing press to produce an example of an intended image. These may require several corrections and be reproduced several times to satisfy or meet the customers requirements resulting in a large loss of profits and ultimately higher costs to the customer.
One such commercially available image processing apparatus has half-tone color proofing capabilities and is arranged to form an intended image on a sheet of thermal print media. Dye is transferred from a sheet of dye donor material to the thermal print media by applying a sufficient amount of thermal energy to the dye donor sheet material to form the intended image. This image processing apparatus generally includes a material supply assembly or carousel and a lathe bed scanning subsystem or write engine. The write engine includes a lathe bed scanning frame, translation drive, translation stage member, printhead, and imaging drum and thermal print media and dye donor sheet material exit transports.
Although conventional input scanners and image processing apparatus work satisfactorily, they are not without drawbacks. The number of input scans and intended images printed per hour of a conventional image processing apparatus is, in part, limited by having to scan the image and store it as a digital data file and then ripping the digital data file so it can be printed on the image processing apparatus. Generally, the faster the intended image can be scanned and exposed onto the thermal print media, the greater the throughput of the pre-press process.
In conventional input scanning and image processing apparatus, the image must be scanned, stored on some type of data storage medium, and ripped, then printed, before the scanned image file can be viewed as a half tone image to determine whether any defect occurred during the scanning process. Unfortunately, any defects in the scanning of the image are not seen until the image is ripped and printed, or worse, used in a page layout on a CEPS or PS (Post Script) workstation prior to any printing. This is aggravating and results in a loss of time spent on storing and ripping the image, working with the image on the CEPS or PS workstation, and scanning and printing (versus printing while scanning).
The image processing apparatus of the present invention, which receives thermal print media and dye donor materials for processing an intended image onto the thermal print media, includes an input scanner for digitally scanning an image. The intended image is attached to an input scanner portion of the drum, and thermal print media and dye donor material are loaded on the imaging portion of the drum Once the imaging drum spins up to speed, the translation system, which is timed to the drum, begins to translate the input scanning head and the printhead across the drum As data from the input scanner is ripped and fed to the printhead, energy from the printhead creates the intended image on the thermal print media. The input scanner is incorporated into the image processing apparatus of the present invention so that the scanned image file can be viewed early on to determine whether any defects have occurred. The defects can then be remedied in an earlier stage of the process.
Advantages of the present invention include the following:
1) the image processing apparatus prints the image as it is being scanned;
2) dramatically increase throughput of the pre-press process;
3) printing of the image can be initiated without having to store the entire image as a digital data file;
4) the same drum, translator drive, and associated electronics are used to scan and print, which is less expensive than two sets;
5) the same machine electronics and controls electronics are used to scan and print;
6) the scanned data file is printed as a halftone image prior to working with the image on a CEPS or PS workstation, which saves time and expense; and
7) one piece of equipment is used to scan and print the image instead of two pieces of equipment. This single apparatus uses less floor space and is more convenient and generally less expensive and easier to troubleshoot than two pieces.
Where the scanner is inside the rotatable drum, two working environments are surprisingly created in the same space where one existed before. In addition to the benefits of being able to scan and proof at the same time, the apparatus is more compact since the inside of the drum is also being utilized. Floor space is saved, and the apparatus gives the appearance of being, and is, technically advanced.
The present invention is an image processing apparatus for scanning and proofing an image at the same time, including:
a) a rotatable drum comprising an imaging portion on its exterior surface, and a scanning portion on its interior surface, the imaging portion of the drum being arranged to mount a receiver sheet and a donor sheet in superposed relationship thereon, the scanning portion of the drum being arranged to mount an input image thereon, the drum being mounted for rotation about an axis, and the drum further comprising a hollowed-out interior portion;
b) a motor for rotating the drum;
c) a printhead external to the drum;
d) an input scanner inside the hollowed-out interior portion of the drum;
e) a first lead screw for moving the printhead in a first direction, the printhead being mounted on the first lead screw, and a second lead screw for moving the scanner in a first direction, the scanner being mounted on the second lead screw; and
f) a linear translation subsystem on which the printhead, scanner, drum, and lead screws are mounted. Also included herein is the reverse, where the printhead is inside the drum and the scanner is outside the drum